Mind of a Maker
A daily blog inspired by Matthew Dicks
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
To become better at something, you have to practice. What better way to become a better writer and storyteller than to practice by making a habit of writing daily?
In this daily blog, we’ll discuss Maker-related topics as well as what inspires projects, including YouTube videos, Movies, TV Shows, Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Books, and more. Everything is on the table, and nothing is off-limits.
Disclaimer: The thumbnail images featured on this blog are often AI-generated. See Disclosure page for more information.
5 Takeaways For Content Creators From "Start With Why"
Most businesses owners spend so much time focusing on what they do and why they do it that WHY is forgotten. WHY you should Start with WHY:
1. WHY before What and How
2. Aim for innovation, not novelty
3. Destination (What) < Journey (WHY)
4. Authenticity comes from WHAT aligning with WHY
5. Run advice through The Celery Test
Your WHY is your compass.
The Best Framework I’ve Found For Increasing Volume And Efficiency
I used to “run and gun” my content and articles, but would always feel burned out every few days. Instead, I found this framework helps.
Separate planning and execution.
Instead of coming up with a topic to write about every day, then writing it, I plan my week of articles on Sunday.
The rest of the week, I just write what I already planned.
5 Practices Business Owners Can Learn From Makers
The business sphere of social media parrots the same advice over and over, but Makers offer 5 different mindsets.
1. Practice on yourself
2. Forget perfection
3. Get better every project
4. Change what isn't working
5. Create your ideal environment
Makers are natural learners and implementers that business owners would do well to imitate.
The 2 Best Habits For Achieving Your Business Goals
I used to constantly miss my goals until I started these 2 habits.
1. Review short-term goals daily
2. Zero inboxes & review long-term goals weekly
The daily review keeps you on track with your actions.
The weekly review keeps your actions aligned with your ambitions.
4 Takeaways For Makers From Austin Kleon's "Show Your Work"
Many on social media only show the finished result, but Austin Kleon recommends showing the work in progress for success.
1. Show the work in progress
2. Daily content is feasible
3. Always give proper credit
4. Start an email list
Social media needs more Makers showing what they are creating, not just the final products.
6 Steps To Realign Annual Goals (Even If Your New Year's Resolution Already Failed)
80% of goals fail by February, so here are 6 simple steps to realign your 2026 goals.
1. Identify Jan mistakes
2. Dig into the root cause of mistakes
3. Plan to reduce or remove the root causes
4. Reaffirm Q1 and Feb goals
5. Forget Jan mistakes
6. Put Feb goals into action now
The Best Way To Confront Your Mistakes & Move Forward
Most people dwell on mistakes. Dwelling can make people spiral and grind any progress to a screeching halt.
Successful people acknowledge mistakes, take appropriate action, then move forward.
Faster recovery = more success.
5 Ways Side-Hustlers Can Gamify Consistent Productivity
Gamifying boring work is a path to success through 5 ways:
1. Consistency streak
2. Stat buffing
3. Epic playlists
4. Bury loot
5. Player avatar
Gamifying keeps you in the game when the grinding for the next level gets boring.
3 Takeaways For Entrepreneurs From "The ONE Thing"
Most aspiring entrepreneurs get frustrated when their big goals fall flat, but their focus is too fractured.
1. Narrow goal focus till there is only ONE thing
2. Don't settle for small goals
3. Don't try to do everything right
Having big goals is amazing, but focus every day on the ONE thing that will give you leverage.
5 Ways To Start Dominating Your Week Instead Of Playing Catchup
I got tired of feeling constantly behind, but found 5 ways that help me own my week instead of feeling owned by it.
1. Don't wait till Monday to plan
2. Zero all your inboxes
3. Clean up projects & tasks
4. Sync your goals
Now you're set up to not play catchup, but we can do one better.
5. Set this week's non-negotiables.
Lock in.
3 Ways I'm Learning That Discipline = Freedom
Discipline = Freedom, but how does that show up in business?
1. Business consistency
2. Waking up & going to bed early
3. Idea clarification
Extreme Ownership introduced me to the concept in 2018, but it took me 7 years to finally see the results in my own life.
4 Reasons Consistency Is Critical For Entrepreneurs (And It Isn't About The Audience)
Consistency is critical for Entrepreneurs. Why?
1. Separate feelings from actions
2. Volume > perfection
3. Develop delayed gratification
4. Public consistency = private consistency
Yes, consistency is good for algorithms, but it’s more important for you.
The 1 Way "Fail Fast" Falls Short & Leaves Side-Hustlers Burned Up On Reentry
We've all heard that successful companies fail fast (and it's repeated on X every day).
But if lessons from failure are not applied to the next iteration, it's insanity.
Use data to inform the next iteration.
The Number 1 Key To Consistency For Aspiring Entrepreneurs
When you miss, don't fall into guilt and stop.
Get back up immediately and get back into it.
James Clear said it best: "Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit."
5 Time Reframes To Make The Most Out Of Your Busy Schedule
1. Busy & productive are not equal
2. Rest is not unproductive
3. Research > mindless scrolling
4. You'll never "find time"
5. Time fills the space available
I'm still working on being productive, but these helped me.
The 1 Framework For Scaling Your Content Ideas Without Unnecessary Frustration
Most creators go directly to long-form video with their idea and get frustrated if it falls flat.
Successful creators engineer that success by continually expanding on ideas.
Start small and continue to expand what works.
5 Easy Steps To Achieve Your 2026 Maker Goals (Even If You Never Mark Annual Goals Complete)
Want to FINALLY achieve your 2026 goals? Follow these 5 easy steps.
1. Pick 1 single 2026 Goal (yes, only 1)
2. Set Q1 goals To hit the Annual
3. Set Jan goals to hit the Q1
4. Set this week's goals to hit Jan's
5. Figure out the actions required to nail the week.
Repeat weekly.
Successful Entrepreneurs Push Through When They Want To Quit
Some people who tried and failed will tell you that entrepreneurship is impossible, the market is too saturated, or that the big companies just have too much power. The good news is that it’s not impossible, but it is incredibly hard to do.
Feeling Overwhelmed? 3 Frameworks To Help Your Anxiety & Regain Control
Everyone I talk to feels overwhelmed each December, but it doesn’t have to feel like this.
It feels like everyone one wants everything thing all the time all at once right now and, while that’s a good movie, it’s a terrible way to enjoy the holidays.
Instead, let me save you some time and stress by sharing 3 frameworks that work for me.
My Workshop Is Constantly Changing (And Why That’s A Good Thing)
Most people have some idea of what a completed workspace looks like to them, but active workspaces should never be complete.